Dear Editor: 

Senator King: “This bill is a farce. Imagine a bunch of guys sitting around a table, saying, ‘I've got a great idea. Let's give $32,000 worth of tax breaks to a millionaire, and we’ll pay for it by taking health insurance away from lower-income and middle-income people. And to top it off, how about we cut food stamps, we cut SNAP, we cut food aid to people?’... I've been in this business of public policy now for 20 years, eight years as governor, 12 years in the United States Senate. I have never seen a bill this bad. I have never seen a bill that is this irresponsible, regressive, and downright cruel.” 

Thank you, Senator King, for standing up for Mainers.  

Senator Collins, your ‘Yes’ vote allowing the bill to be opened for debate was theenabling vote for the passage of this terrible bill. This was the moment at which your ‘No’ vote would have killed the bill but instead you voted ‘Yes’.You subsequentlyvotedthe party line against numerous amendmentsdesigned to lessen the damage done by this bill. Your final ‘No’ vote against the bill was not made until it became clear it would have no effect on the outcome.  

This is not standing up for Mainers. 

Nigel Calder 

Newcastle